PIR sales: ISOC President dismayed by ICANN decision to stop deal - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

The President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Internet Society (ISOC), Mr. Andrew Sullivan, has expressed dismay over the decision of the the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) to stop the sale of its Public Interest Registry (PIR) to Ethos Capital, reports ITREALMS.

Sullivan in an open letter to ISOC Chapter delegates and sighted by ITREALMS, said that though the period of uncertainity was over.

"I am, of course, disappointed by ICANN's decision. ICANN took much longer than it should have to render its decision, and in my view, stretched beyond its own agreements and the remit in its bylaws. I am also concerned that ICANN has shown itself to be much more susceptible to political pressure than its mandate would recommend.

"Nevertheless, I am grateful that ICANN has now rendered a clear decision. This decision means that the period of uncertainty is over. In the future, we will continue to rely on our colleagues at PIR to provide exemplary registries in rigorous compliance with their ICANN agreements, and to continue to provide generous funding to the Internet Society."

Further, part of his letter reads:

"Over the past several months there has been much discussion and interest within our community regarding the Internet Society's plan to sell Public Interest Registry (PIR), operator of .ORG and other top-level domains, to Ethos Capital. Under PIR's registry operator agreements, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) must consent to this (or any other) indirect change of control in order for the transaction to move to the next phase of the approval process.

"ICANN has announced that it does not consent to the transaction. ICANN's decision effectively means that the transaction cannot, and will not, proceed.

"When the Internet Society Trustees accepted the offer from Ethos in a unanimous vote, they did so because they believed, and still do, that the transaction would be good for the Internet Society, good for PIR, and good for registrants in .ORG and all the registries PIR operates. It's not very often where an opportunity presents itself that has advantages for everyone.

"When we announced the proposed transaction, several people, including some in our own community, expressed unhappiness with it. I want to acknowledge the criticism and emotions that greeted the transaction. I know there are members of the Internet Society who were angry and hurt by this proposal, and I am sorry about that.

"Several people also expressed disappointment about how the sale was handled. If we could have better apprised you, our community, in advance of this sale, we would have. Requests for large-scale consultation came from across our community; this was not something we could possibly undertake. The months since the proposal was announced have been hard on PIR's staff, and an extended consultation without any clear picture of what the possible outcomes might be would have been worse for PIR and therefore for .ORG. Neither the Trustees nor I believed we could undertake such a consultation without damaging PIR, which would itself be harmful to the community that relies on .ORG.

"Our community has been through a trial, and to address it, the Board of Trustees has already embarked on efforts to repair our bonds. While there were differing views about aspects of the proposed transfer, we have a unity forged in our shared commitment to the Internet, and our collective will to build a stronger and more accessible Internet is as assured as ever.

"The organization has continued to develop its staff function to better respond to community needs, and to make sure that our work is both demonstrably useful to the Internet and relevant to its needs. We have received positive feedback about both the report of our 2019 activities and the Action Plan for 2020. Our work on encryption, protocols, global routing, time security, community networks, and other priorities are moving with pace. Together we have work to do, especially at this time of global crisis when reliance on communication – and especially the Internet - is critical for society.

"We will continue to grow the operations of the Internet Society Foundation, and we will keep working with our partners at PIR to ensure that the Internet Society can continue to build, promote and defend the Internet. In no way will this disrupt or slow the work of the Internet Society, our chapters or members, to achieve our vision of an Internet for everyone."

Chuks Egbune/DoP

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40 industry experts lineup for DSP Leaders World Forum 2020 - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

TelecomTV’s DSP Leaders World Forum 2020 is gathering over 40 industry experts to discuss the challenges and opportunities of digital services provision in a series of televised panel discussions during the week commencing May 11th, reports ITREALMS.

Returning for its second year, DSP Leaders World Forum will host some 40 top executives from CSPs, the vendor innovation ecosystem and leading industry bodies for an action packed week of programmes discussing the challenges and opportunities CSPs will encounter on their journey to becoming successful digital service providers in the new economy.

From Edgenomics to 5G Business Models; Cloud Native to Sustainability; Digital Services to Customer Service Evolution; and of course the Connectivity Challenge facing CSPs today. 

Interested fellows can now view the full agenda and broadcast times online.

*Editor

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36 CSOs demand public scrutiny of Gbajabiamila’s ‘Infectious Diseases Bill’ - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

Some 36 Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) have demanded public scrutiny of the Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila’s ‘Infectious Diseases Bill’ reports ITREALMS.

The group in a press statement available to ITREALMS noted that on Tuesday, April 28, 2020, the National Assembly resumed legislative activities after one month of recess, following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. ITREALMS recalls that upon resumption, the House of Representatives considered a bill entitled ‘Control of Infectious Diseases Bill’ co-sponsored by Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila, Speaker, House of Reps; Rep. Pascal Obi; and Rep. Tanko Sununu.

The bill, ITREALMS gathered, seeks to repeal the obsolete Quarantine Act of 1929 and enact the Control of Infectious Diseases Bill, make provisions relating to quarantine and regulations for preventing the introduction into and spread of dangerous infectious diseases in Nigeria, and for other related matters.

“The Bill has passed first and second reading at plenary under controversial circumstances,” the CSO said, lamenting that the bill was slated for a record third reading that same day, before it was resisted by some vigilant members.

Therefore, the CSOs demand as a matter of urgency that:

“1. The House of Representatives subject the Bill to public scrutiny by embarking on stakeholder consultations and a public hearing to harness public inputs into the legislation. The House should utilize the opportunity provided by the reviewed lockdown policy to consult with relevant stakeholders and the people; and

“2. Review all provisions of the Bill that foster inter-agency conflicts and abuse of power and undermine constitutionally guaranteed rights and are contrary to the rule of law and Nigeria’s International human rights obligations.”

The group maintained that the imperativeness of a legislative framework that guarantee effective response to pandemic/public health crises, “we must do so within the rule of law and in conformity with the Constitution and Nigeria’s International human rights obligations and democratic principles.”

The CSOs further urged the National Assembly to refrain from vesting powers beyond the remit of the institutions.

“We must avoid the temptation of vesting absolute powers in public officials as this could be abused and misused to undermine constitutionally guaranteed rights. Laws must be made for the people and any law that fails to protect the human rights of the people as guaranteed in the constitution must be rejected in its entirety,” he declared.

Chuks Egbune/DoP

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COVID-19: HP, African Union partner for distance learning in 55 African countries - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

The Hewlett Packard (HP) and the African Union Commission (AUC) have agreed to join forces to expand digital learning opportunities for all youth in 55 AU Member States, reports ITREALMS.

This, ITREALMS gathered was the outcome of the Extra-Ordinary Session of the Specialized Technical Committee on Education, Science and Technology held virtually on 30th April 2020.

ITREALMS reports that both entities have agreed to collaborate on various initiatives including exchange of information and expertise, as well as promotion of online platforms to support digital learning.

Africa has the youngest population in the world with more than 400 million young people aged between 15 to 35 years. Almost all countries across the continent have introduced some form of nation-wide school and university closures to contain the Covid-19 virus. This means that there are a very large number of children and young people that are not receiving any form of schooling. At this meeting, Elisabeth Moreno, Managing Director and Vice President of HP Africa presented HP’s Learning Initiative for Entrepreneurship (HP LIFE) and BeOnline programmes, two unique online learning platforms that can be utilised by ministers to support schools and educators in their distance learning endeavours.

The two online learning platforms will contribute towards H.E. Moussa Faki Mahammat’s, the Chairperson of the AU, 1 Million By 2021 initiative. 

The 1 Million By 2021 initiative seeks to provide opportunities to young Africans from the 55 member states in the areas of Education, Employment, Engagement and Entrepreneurship (the 4Es). It is against this backdrop that the AU and HP are prioritizing digital learning opportunities for African youth.

“Education is a fundamental human right that should be available regardless of a person’s age, class, race, gender or location,” said Moreno. “To that end, HP has pledged to enable better learning outcomes for 100 million people by 2025, as well as adding 1 million users to HP LIFE between 2016-25 – a commitment that aligns with the AU’s Continental Education Strategy for Africa (CESA), which aims to change Africa’s education and training systems to meet the knowledge, competencies, skills, innovation and creativity required to nurture core values and promote sustainable development on a continental level.”

Today, technology can support new styles of learning. PCs and tools designed for education can offer students flexibility of time, place, and pace of learning, whether in or out of the classroom, or in a blend of environments. HP and AU joint efforts have the potential to uplift access of education and opportunities for career work and economic growth. The collaboration aims to promote innovations that hold the best potential to make lifelong learning a reality.

“The partnership with HP will accelerate our education response to Covid-19 especially and have long-term benefits. I implore AU Member States to make the most of these opportunities as this partnership means young people can access educational opportunities at no cost for the rest of this academic year. This partnership speaks directly to H.E Moussa Faki Mahamat’s 1 Million by 2021 initiative by providing educational opportunities which will assist in positioning our youth to venture into the entrepreneurial sector,” Commissioner of the AUC Department of Human Resources, Science and Technology, H.E Prof. Sarah Anyang Agbor said.

BeOnline is a programme that was developed by HP in partnership with Classera, the leader in Learning Management Systems and Mirai, a learning innovations group focusing on learning strategy and digital pedagogy, to assist the endeavours of the education community. In line with the most recent regional governments’ directives for distance learning, the programme aims to support schools and universities in establishing a fully-fledged virtual learning environment, by providing expertise and tools at no cost.

The HP Foundation has created its global programme HP LIFE to provide business and IT skills training free of charge to people all over the world. The online community and more than 30 self-paced courses are designed to help users develop business and IT skills in their own time and at their own pace. The courses are modular, interactive, and full of information and practical exercises that enable users to grow their business skills.

Nenye Dom/Editor

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Mentality of winning - ITREALMS

Commentary@ITREALMS:

I first wrote this article on April 03, 2017, exactly three years ago. I feel compelled to share it again, as I believe that it is even more relevant today in this challenging circumstance; where nothing short of Visionary Leadership and a deep sense of Community and Resilient Followership is needed to steer our nation along this rocky path and to the other side of the wave.

“The thing about winning and losing is that they are both self-reinforcing.” …Austin Okere

The Gunners as a metaphor

As an Arsenal football club fan, how do I convince anybody that the team is good or that coach Arsene Wenger is doing a good job, given the long spate of trophy draught and inexplicable losses in the current season both in the English Premier league and the Champions league?

The mentality of winning and losing – the Tyson effect

Winning reinforces your self-confidence and instils an inherent mythical fear in your opponents. The whole team is energized and ready for the next win. Losing on the other hand, engenders a loss of confidence and a significant level of demystification, inviting all manner of opponents to fancy their chances at you, as happened when the erstwhile unbeatable heavyweight boxing champion, Mike Tyson lost to a lowly challenger, Buster Douglas in 1990 in Tokyo, Japan. This was followed by a string of losses leading to a less glorious retirement, highlighted by his biting off the ear of an opponent, Evander Holyfield, during a boxing match. Thus, was dimmed a golden opportunity of going down in history as one of the greatest heavyweights of all time.

Reversing the pattern – Leicester City FC finds her magic

Taking the steps required to reverse your losing spree and shifting into a winning mentality restores your lost glory, seemingly obliterating the past string of losses e.g. Leicester City Football Club; after parting ways with coach Claudio Ranieri (ironically the same coach that propelled them to the dizzying heights of winning the English Premier League title last year) have suddenly become unstoppable again; beating the better rated Spanish side, Sevilla FC for a place in the Quarter Finals of the UEFA Champions League. Even as first timers, they are the only English team still flying the British flag where great teams such as Manchester City and Arsenal have crashed out.

Winning is ‘In spite of’; Losing is ‘because of’ - the Usain Bolt determination

A loser’s mentality is strongly underpinned by a culture of excuses; finding ‘very good’ reasons why you didn’t make it, or why you lost; as if this will magically convert the loss into a win. An earful of balderdash at best.

A winner’s mentality on the other hand, is centred on ‘making it’ in spite of all odds. A very good example being Usain Bolt, who not only holds the world record for the fastest human dead or alive, but also winning three gold medals in the 100m, 200m and 4X100m races in three consecutive Olympics; Beijing (2008), London (2012) and Rio (2016) – Now, that is a winner with a strong winning mentality.

Believe me, it is never a walk in the park. He knew what he had to do when overconfidence brought an embarrassing loss to his training partner and competitor Johan Blake. Blake beat Bolt to second place in both the 100m and 200m at the 2012 Olympic trials in Jamaica, and this was just about a month to the London Olympics.

Just imagine the pressure that Bolt would have felt. In the beginning he resorted to excuses; he blamed the 100m loss on a poor start, and the 200m on a poor bend. Realizing that a golden dream was evaporating before his eyes, he quickly faced reality in his following statement capturing his renewed attitude “it’s all about work and just needing to get my things together and get it right. I’ve got to get in the work and figure out what I did wrong”. And with that he got himself in shape in time to win both events at the London Olympics. He did work very hard and deserved the results and his place in history (watch the documentary on him titled ‘I am Bolt’).

The Nigerian Super Eagles – Our ‘Invincible’ of old

I remember with nostalgia when all the immigration officers in the countries that I visited in the 1990’s became very friendly upon sighting my Nigerian Passport, reeling the names of our Super Eagle players and asking me if I knew them; Jay-Jay, Kanu, Amuneke, Keshi, Okewchukwu, Taribo, Oliseh, Rufia, Amokachie, Yekini, Siasia, Ikpeba and the host of others . These were the glory days of Nigerian soccer, where other teams’ reverence of our players conferred on us very deep respect as a country. Not so these days; we have managed to get ourselves stuck in a losers’ mentality to the extent that ‘the giant of Africa’ did not even qualify for the last edition of the African Nations Cup in Gabon this year.

We managed to win the bronze medal at the Rio Olympics, but who remembers, after the unbelievable story of our players being stranded in America and arriving only hours before their opening match; what manner of organization? The headlines in the global media were enough to make every Nigerian bow their heads in shame. The Mirror succinctly captured it thus “Nigerian Olympic football team stranded in Atlanta hours before first game after unpaid flight bill”.

You did not need to read the body of the copy to see how shoddy our organization could be. How can we aspire to Gold with this attitude?

We need the right attitude to aspire to greatness – the China and Dubai examples

Countries like the UAE did not attain their heights by sudden flight, but rather toiled over the midnight candle while other less ambitious ones floundered, more so the ones with more human and natural resources and much more potential. They have keyed into a certain winners’ mentality that sees them breaking record after record. For instance, The Burj Khalifa in Dubai is the tallest building in the whole world. A trip to Dubai will convince you beyond doubt about how seriously they take themselves, and how seriously everybody takes them. China is another story. For over three decades, China has had the world’s fastest growing major economy. The country is in the midst of urbanization on an unparalleled scale. With more than 1.3billion citizens, China is the world’s most populous country. Until the late 20th century, most of her citizens lived in rural areas. Within a 50-year span, the percentage of city-dwellers rose from 13 to 50%. On a recent visit with my wife, we could only marvel at the scenic beauty of the West Lake area of Hangzhou, the capital of Zhejiang province. Our Chinese tour guide, Mr. Forrest informed us that the plan of the Government was to lift a third of the population into the millionaires club within the next 10 years.

Without power, we have not even started – the Murtala Mohammed Airport blues

Africa is called the Dark Continent for a reason; it is ‘literally’ pitch dark when you fly overhead at night, due to the dearth of electric power. The sound track of Lagos, and indeed many Nigerian cities is the din of generators coughing up smoke into the already polluted environment, making the ban on public smoking of tobacco quite superfluous. From reliable reports, our International Gateway, Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA) has had to rely on candle lights more than once, due to power outage (and unbelievably, failure of the Generator secondary source).

To tell it the way it is, MMA being the first and last impression of a visitor to Nigeria is either a misrepresentation, or a sad commentary on us as Nigerians. The non-functioning escalators over many years, projects us as a set of very unserious people. How complex is the technology and what will it take to fix it? The drive from the airport to the foot of the Third Mainland Bridge that takes you into the commercial business districts of Victoria and Lagos Islands could qualify as one of the most uninspiring airport rides in the world – again, can this not be fixed; Really? A famous Irish proverb that says ‘nodding the head does not row the boat’ seems to sum this up.

Are we passionate about our country – should we be?

Is it true that passion is something you value more than your life? Something you are willing to die for? If so, are we passionate about Nigeria? Should we be? Are other nationals passionate about their countries? Growing up in Ghana, my motherland, I really felt very passionate about her, as I believe were the sentiments shared by my other classmates.

The Chinese, Japanese, Europeans, Americans and all the places we love to flock to are very passionate about their countries and will gladly use their talents to help her to win; be it at the Olympics or the World Cup. Many a times our Athletes and Players have made money a precondition; and who can blame them? The experience seems to suggest that the officials bail with the money immediately after the games. The objective all round seems to be the money rather than the glory for country.

Epilogue – where we should be headed

As a country, we have the complete ingredients for success; human, mineral and material resources in abundance. What we need are people that can dream and turn the dream into an executable plan. Execute and live the dream. Dubai has proved this theory, we just need to follow the path to success.

We have to strongly shun the temptation to try to ‘win by shortcuts’. Imagine that Nigerians lost a whooping N18b ($45m) to the MMM Ponzi scheme, despite many warnings by the Central bank. This is not the first time and unlikely to be the last time we embark on such get-rich-quick misadventure. We flock to all manner of religious centres and shrines looking for money doubling miracles instead of putting in brainpower and manpower towards our endeavours.

As Mary Robinson said, nobody can go back to create a new beginning but anybody can start today to create a new ending. This is what we must do as a country. Everybody needs to put in the disciplined hard work and dig into our inner recesses to find our own winning ways! We need to start in earnest to develop and sustain the serious mentality of a winner. We need to genuinely create an enabling environment underpinned by peace and security that nurtures prosperity for all, rather than all for a cabal.

This is our chance – the tide in the affairs of Nations

“There is a tide in the affairs of men. Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune; Omitted, all the voyage of their life Is bound in shallows and in miseries. On such a full sea are we now afloat, And we must take the current when it serves, Or lose our ventures”. This is the admonition of Brutus to Cassius in William Shakespeare’s epic, Julius Caesar.

Nigeria today is presented with such an opportunity. The current economic challenges after decades of squander and squalor has presented us with the golden opportunity of a reality check devoid of the distractions of easy oil money. This difficult period is too painful to waste. We must seize the opportunity for a reawakening, and realign towards doing the right thing and cultivating a winning mentality. If not now, then when? If not you, then who?

*Contributed by Austin Okere is the Founder of CWG Plc, the largest ICT Company on the Nigerian Stock Exchange & Entrepreneur in Residence at CBS, New York. Austin also serves on the Advisory Board of the Global Business School Network, and on the World Economic Forum Global Agenda Council on Innovation and Intrapreneurship. Austin now runs the Ausso Leadership Academy focused on Business and Entrepreneurial Mentorship

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WPFD: NGE demands special PPE for journalists covering COVID-19

ITREALMS:

The Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) has demanded a special Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) for journalists covering the ChineseVirus-19 also known as Coronavirus or COVID-19 Pandemic, especially in the country, reports ITREALMS.

NGE in a message on the occasion of this year’s World Press Freedom Day, congratulated all journalists in the country and across the world, especially those in the frontline covering the Covid-19 pandemic.

A press statement available to ITREALMS and endorsed by NGE President, Mr. Mustapha Isah and the Social and Publicity Secretary, Ken Ugbechie, urged media owners to provide special personal protective equipment (PPE) for journalists, in order for them not to be infected.
ITREALMS recalls that the World Press Freedom Day was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in December 1993, following the recommendation of UNESCO's General Conference.

“This special day acts as a reminder to governments, of the need to respect their commitment to Press Freedom. Besides, it also provides an opportunity for media professionals to reflect on, and renew their commitment to the best practices that promote professionalism, ethical reporting and public-spirited advocacy,” NGE said.

Journalists across the world, they said, have had to face daunting challenges and dangers in the discharge of their duties with some having to pay the supreme price, while others have been harassed and jailed.

They cited for instance, the Press Emblem Campaign (PEC), a non-governmental organisation, report that 55 journalists across 23 countries have died from Covid-19 infection between March and April, 2020.

This, they stressed, was aside the six journalists killed by state actors this year alone across the globe, and about 250 more languishing in different prisons and detention centres. The body of editors therefore, demands the immediate release of all detained journalists in Nigeria and all over the world.

While we commiserate with the families and friends of our departed colleagues, the Guild urges all journalists to abide by the basic protocol of the World Health Organisation (WHO), namely: maintaining physical distancing, washing of hands regularly, wearing of masks, among others. In addition to observing these protocols, the Guild urges journalists to use their various media platforms to enlighten the publics on the need to observe these protocols and any other precautionary measures.

The Guild aligns with the UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, in calling on journalists to act professionally as “antidote” to the pandemic of misinformation and fake news, bordering on harmful health advice and conspiracy theories surrounding the Covid-19 crisis.

The NGE insists that, as journalists, we must not at any time abuse the right to press freedom to disseminate false and unverified stories on Covid-19 pandemic or any other subject matter.

The Guild commends the Federal and State governments as well as all relevant health institutions and personnel for their spirited efforts at containing the novel viral pandemic. We, however, condemn the harassment of journalists in some states by security personnel during the lockdown. Journalists are in the frontline and are partners in the collective effort at combating the pandemic, hence should be accorded all respect and privileges, including protection from harassment and assault in the hands of security agents. Nigeria and indeed the world, needs a free press to effectively report the pandemic and other issues.

The theme of World Press Freedom Day 2020 is: "Journalism Without Fear or Favour" and the sub-themes are: ''Safety of Women and Men Journalists and Media Workers''; ''Independent and Professional Journalism Free From Political and Commercial Influence;'' and '' Gender Equality in All Aspect of the Media''.

Further, the Guild urged all relevant stakeholders, including media professionals, to forge a synergy that would engender the realisation of these lofty themes for the good of society and mankind.

Chuks Egbune/DoP

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COVID-19: St. John's alumni elects new exco online - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

Following restrictions by the government on the Coronavirus or COVID-19, the Old Boys Association of St John's Grammar School Ile-Ife, Osun State have devised an electronic poll system to elect their new executives, reports ITREALMS.

This, ITREALMS gathered enabled members of the association in over 20 locations in four continents to fill their ballots and vote.

“Members voted from Nigeria, Canada, United Kingdom, United States, Denmark, Australia, South Africa among other countries,” according to Mr. Lanke Bakare, who the technical team.

He also explained that forms were sent to members who completed and received back for analysis.

“It allows you to design the format you want your survey to take and the type of response you want. Responses are automatically collated and easily copied to windows for further analysis," he said.

The secretary of the Electoral Committee, Mr. Yomi Layinka, said, no fewer than 218 members participated in the election of the 11-member executive of the association.

Layinka, who was the Special Adviser to former Governor of Oyo State Abiola Ajimobi said the committee equally held series of interactions with the candidates on the association's Telegram platform fielding questions from all over the world.
ITREALMS further gathered that the new executive council comprised of Dr. Festus Osoba who emerged as the president, Olajide Makinde as first Vice President, Jibola Awoseyi came up as the second Vice President and Ike Diaku became the third Vice President.

Others elected were Prince Debo Adefisan as the General Secretary, Obafemi Obadare emerged the Assistant General Secretary, Kehinde Bamigbetan as the Publicity Secretary and Barrister Temitope Elusogbon was elected as Social Secretary.

The new exco team also includes Taiwo Adedire as the Financial Secretary, Olaolu Omifare and Adedapo Adeyeba were elected as the Treasurer and Auditor respectively.

In his acceptance speech on behalf of the new executive, the new president, Dr. Osoba commended the electoral committee for its ingenuity and thanked all members for participating in the digital election.

"We promise responsible leadership that benefits the membership. We promise to communicate and give direction; empower others and leave a good and befitting legacy. We realize that you will only follow us if you trust us. We have a clearly defined and well-communicated vision as outlined in our various manifestoes," he said.

Ayo Midele/Editor

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Dangote, 54gene lab enter deal to conduct 1,000 COVID-19 test per day in Kano - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

The Aliko Dangote Foundation (ADF), a philanthropic endeavor f Aliko Dangote, has contracted 54Gene, a molecular diagnostics company specialized in research, and diagnostics, to immediately set up a 400 test/day capacity laboratory in Kano State, reports ITREALMS.

54Gene is accredited by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), and has already set up labs in Lagos and in Ogun States.

Bankers Committee to Access, others: Obtain CBN approval to sack any bank staff – ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

Any bank in Nigeria who wants to retrench as the nation enters post-Coronavirus or COVID-19, must seek the approval of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), reports ITREALMS.

This directive was contained in the CBN latest press statement by the Director, Corporate Communications, Mr. Isaac Okorafor, on Sunday, saying that any planned lay-off by any financial institutions must get an approval from the apex bank.

This is coming barely 48 hours after the leaked video of the Group Managing Director, Access Bank Plc, Mr. Herbert Wigwe, revealed that some 75 per cent of the workforce that he described as non-essential workers including tellers and other employees, would be laid off.

CBN in a press statement appeared available to ITREALMS said that following a special meeting of the Bankers Committee, they resolved that despite the obvious implication of the pandemic, no bank will sack staff.

Part of the statement read:

“A special meeting of the Bankers’ Committee was convened on May 2, 2020, to further review the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Nigerian banking industry. The Committee particularly deliberated on the issue of the operating costs of banks in view of the disruptions emanating from the global economic difficulties and decided as follows:

1. In order to help minimize and mitigate the negative impact of the COVID19 pandemic on families and livelihoods, no bank in Nigeria shall retrench or lay-off any staff of any cadre (including full-time and part-time).

2. To give effect to the above measure, the express approval of the Central Bank of Nigeria shall be required in the event that it becomes absolutely necessary to lay-off any such staff.

“The Central Bank of Nigeria solicits the support of all in our collective effort to weather through the economic challenges occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic,” he said.

Remmy Nweke/DoP

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Lagos markets open with conditions - ITREALMS

ITREALMS: 

Monday, May 5, the markets are expected in the commercial centre of Lagos State, but the government has issued new guidelines for markets and shopping malls, reports ITREALMS.

Lagos said this is in efforts to curb the spread of the Coronavirus pandemic, following Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu's announcement on the gradual easing of the lockdown.

Speaking at a stakeholders’ meeting last Thursday in Alausa, Ikeja, the Honourable Commissioner for Local Government and Community Affairs, Dr. Wale Ahmed, reiterated that all markets and stores in the various Local Governments/Local Council Development Areas across the metropolis will be allowed to open from 9 a.m till 3 p.m on selected days.

He emphasised that everyone attending these markets and stores will be mandated to observe precautionary measures such as physical distancing and high levels of personal and respiratory hygiene. 

Dr. Ahmed declared that malls will also be allowed to open with the proviso that stores will maintain a 60% occupancy capacity at any point in time, while also ensuring that a two-meter physical distancing is maintained between a shopper and the next person in the store. 

The Commissioner maintained that food handlers must also wear masks and hand gloves in markets at all times, directing that shop owners must provide hand sanitisers and wash hands with soap and running water at all entry points, conduct temperature checks on customers and ensure that nobody is exempted from the process. 

According to him, the guidelines are proactive measures put in place by the Government to curtail a possible spread of the deadly virus among traders in markets places and malls when the gradual ease of the lockdown commences on Monday, May 4, 2020.

Ahmed disclosed that stakeholders at the meeting, which was attended by the Iyaloja/President, General Association of Commodity Market Women and Men of Nigeria, Mrs. Folashade Tinubu-Ojo and other major market leaders in the State, unanimously agreed that effective from Monday, 4th May 2020, food sellers and other ware traders should operate on alternate days in all markets across the State.

“In essence, those trading in other items and wares apart from food will only be allowed to trade on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, while all food and farm produce sellers will operate on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays”, the Commissioner explained.

While stressing that there will be zero tolerance for all forms of street-trading, Ahmed disclosed that all Market leaders also promised to ensure that their members abide by all the stated guidelines, while the Ministry, Chairmen of LGs/LCDAs, Office of Iyaloja-General and the State Enforcement Agencies will ensure strict compliance with the directives.

Ayo Midele/Editor

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